Reilyn Turner nets four as U.S. U-16 GNT overpowers Slovenia

BILJE, Slovenia (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-16 Girls’ National Team rolled past its third consecutive opponent at the 3^rd U-17 Women’s Torneo delle Nazioni, downing the Slovenia U-16 GNT 6-0 to go undefeated in group play. The USA, which had already won the group and qualified for the title after its first two matches, an 8-0 victory against Slovenia and a 5-0 win vs. Italy, will now face Japan on April 29 for the tournament title.

Japan beat Norway, 2-1, in the Group A finale to earn its berth in the championship game.

For the third consecutive game the USA had a player score a bushel of goals. In the win over Iran, Kailyn Dudukovich scored four times. In the win over Italy, Trinity Byars bagged a hat trick. And in the win over Slovenia, is was forward Reilyn Turner’s turn as she scored three goals in the first half – all assisted by Aislynn Crowder – and one early in the second on a penalty kick. Midfielders Jaelyn Eisenhart and Alexis Missimo also added second half scores.

+READ: U.S. U-16 Girls National Team routs Italy 5-0 in Torneo delle Nazioni

The USA scored three goals in each of the 35-minute halves with Turner opening her account in just the 8^th minute. Crowder chipped the ball over the defense into the left side of the box and Turner ran onto the ball before smashing a volley over the goalkeeper.

In the 32^nd minute, Crowder curled a free kick into the box and found Turner who cut in front of the ‘keeper to head powerfully into the net.

Three minutes later, Turner scored on another header off another cross from Crowder, this one from a corner kick.

Four minutes into the second half, Turner cut between two defenders in the penalty box and was taken down. She took the kick herself and finished into the bottom right corner.

The USA found the net twice in two minutes to finish the scoring. The first came in the 61^st minute when Grace Watkins made a run into the penalty box before cutting it back to Eisenhart who settled it with her first touch and then sent a well-placed shot into the bottom right corner from 18 yards out.

+READ: Girls Development Academy East Conference Recap | April 21-22, 2018

One minute later, Missimo scored her third goal in as many games, receiving a pass from Watkins off a short corner. Missimo dribbled into the box and cut it back before hitting a shot across goal that struck the far post and bounced into the goal.

The USA heads into the championship game against Japan having scored 19 goals and allowed zero over its three group matches.

The tournament is being staged at 14 small venues in the northeast part of Italy and just across the border in western Slovenia, 10 of them in Italy and four in Slovenia.

The Torneo delle Nazioni has been held for boys for the past 15 years (including this one), but this is just the third time it has been held for women. This year’s competition is for players born in 2002 or later. The U.S. team is made up of 10 players born in 2002, which is the age group for this year’s U-16 GNT, and five players born in 2003, which puts them in the U-15 GNT age group. In addition, there are five players on the roster born in 2001, which is the age cutoff for the team that participated in the Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament in Nicaragua before it was cancelled last weekend.

U-16 Girls’ National Team Match Report

Match: U.S. Under-16 GNT vs Slovenia U-16 GNT
Date: April 28, 2018
Competition: 3^rd U-17 Women;’s Torneo delle Nazioni
Venue: ND Bilje; Bilje, Slovenia
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny

Scoring Summary:    1          2          F
USA                             3          3          6
SVN                             0          0          0

USA – Reilyn Turner (Aislynn Crowder)                     8^th minute
USA – Reilyn Turner (Aislynn Crowder)                     32
USA – Reilyn Turner (Aislynn Crowder)                     35
USA – Reilyn Turner (Penalty Kick)                            39
USA – Jaelyn Eisenhart (Grace Watkins)                   61
USA – Alexis Missimo (Grace Watkins)                      62

Lineups:
USA: 12-Alia Skinner; 2-Nya Harrison, 4-Baleigh Bruster, 5-Lilly Reale (13-Tori Hansen, 36), 23-Elaine Rouse (3-Kellie Pagador, 36), 9-Jaelyn Eisenhart (25-Trinity Byars, 61), 19-Grace Watkins, 7-Aislynn Crowder (15-Alexis Missimo, 45), 10-Reilyn Turner (16-Alexis Theoret, 49), 11-Dilary Heredia-Beltran (18-Michelle Coooper, 49), 6-Kailyn Dudukovich (20-Kalyssa Van Zanten, 23)
Subs not used: 1-Lindsey Romig, 21-Ariella Pitty
Head Coach: April Kater

SVN: 1-Lili Sofija Balažic; 16-Ema Horvat, 15-Albina Čizmazija, 5-Anita Kovačič, 11-Kim Juršnik, 3-Selma Šabotič (17-Maša Černivšek, 49), 10-Eva Vodušek (9-Vita Žolek, 45), 6-Marcela Kos, 8-Pija Ciganovič, 18-Tajda Tušek (14-Patricija Ham, 51), 19-Manca Suhoveršnik (4-Neja Kovačec, 53)
Subs not used: 2-Zala Igerc, 7-Sara Gradišek, 12-Lara Rozman, 13-Zarja Sušnik, 20-Ema Erman
Head Coach: Tina Kelenberger

Stats Summary: USA / SVN
Shots: 16 / 1
Shots on Goal: 9 / 0
Saves: 0 / 3
Corner Kicks: 6 / 0
Fouls: 6 / 9
Offside: 3 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
None